RAIPUR: The first phase of Assembly elections for 18 constituencies of Chhattisgarh on Monday saw around 70 per cent polling. Barring some sporadic incidents of violence, the voting was largely peaceful.
There were 31 lakh voters and 4,336 polling booths in the first phase, which sealed the fate of 190 candidates including CM Raman Singh.
In the 10 Naxal-affected Assembly segments, the turnout was 60 per cent. Voting in the conflict zone of Bastar was less than that of 2013 when over 70 per cent was polled.
“The moderate turnout at Bastar is not indicative of pro-change mood… The overall percentage appears perplexing”, said Parivesh Mishra, a psephologist.
Poor voting was reported in Bijapur (33%), Narayanpur (40%), Konta (47%) and Dantewada (49%).
Khujji, Dongargarh and Chitrakoot constituencies recorded 72 per cent polling.
According to officials, the voting percentage usually goes up after the figures from electronic voting machines are statistically calibrated.
“The figure is not final and might rise further as inputs from the remotely located polling stations are yet to come”, said Subrat Sahoo, state chief electoral officer.
At Palambuda polling station, for the first time in 15 years, 44 electorates exercised their franchise.
Unlike in the past, Mular and Nilvaya booths in Dantewada did not record zero turnout this time as 10 and 19 villagers, respectively, came forward to cast their votes.
A Maoist couple, Mainuram and his wife Rajwati, who surrendered at Narayanpur couple of years ago also excercised their franchise.
There were sporadic incidents of Maoist violence. In an encounter with Maoists at Bijapur, five personnel of the elite Cobra battalion of Central Reserve Police Force were injured.
A blast was triggered by rebels at Katekalyan in Dantewada district in the morning, but there was no casualty.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a scathing attack on Sonia and Rahul Gandhi without naming them saying “the mother-son duo who are out on a bail facing charges of misappropriating funds, are giving me a certificate of honesty”.
Campaigning for the party in Bilaspur district, about 130 km east of Raipur, he said, “Demonetisation unearthed fake companies. You (Gandhis) ask about the outcome of the note-ban which even tracked down your cases, out of which, you had to come out on bail.”
Defending the demonetisation move, the PM said it paved the way for extensive development. “Such capital actually existed earlier too but it was hidden (during the previous regime). With the note ban, all this public money cropped up and consequently, many development projects are now being undertaken by our government,” he said.
On the day of first phase polling in Chhattisgarh he said the only mantra that works for the BJP is development and that “the Opposition does not know how to fight the BJP”.
He called the Congress a “party of slogans” without the policy, intention or leadership to accomplish the slogans and further added, “The politics of the Congress begins from one family and ends with that family”.
In an apparent sneer yet again at former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s statement on barely 15 paise of every one rupee sent by the Centre reaching the beneficiary on the ground.
“Ye kaun sa panja tha jo rupaiye ka 85 paisa maar leta tha? (What paw is this that swipes away 85 paise?). We have brought the 85 paise out in the open through demonetisation,” he averred and added that the nation doesn’t expect much from those deeply involved in corruption. “Today the country is touching the newer heights of development,” he added.
“The BJP’s manifesto — sankalp patra (Document of intent) — talks on elimination of Maoists. Its only us who can make Chhattisgarh a maoist-free state. Can those who nurtured them (Maoist), ever finish them? Rather it’s their (Congress) business to back Maoists calling them revolutionaries,” the PM said.
He asked the people to take a wise decision for the future of Chhattisgarh.
“No parent or guardian thinks differently about their children who attain 18 years of age... You people are the parents of Chhattisgarh and will have to take crucial decision on it,” he said in his speech.